America - Land of the Free and the Brave
What is happening in this wonderful country I have always loved and respected? Why cannot factions agree to disagree without violence and without threats of such?
It has taken me a long time to decide to blog about what is happening in this great country of ours - I have tried to remain neutral while debates have gone on with both sides of political issues. After seeing on television the vile actions of some Tea Party members toward United States Congressmen who were supporting Health Care Insurance Reform, I could stay silent no longer. I realized I had become part of what we know as the "silent majority". I posted a few messages on Facebook but then decided to remove those as I don't believe it should be the venue for these discussions though I see someone like Sarah Palin with a map that includes cross hairs from a rifle over those areas of the map where her party wants to defeat incumbant Democrats. I ask you, should we as Americans tolerate this kind of behavior no matter which side of an issue we are involved?
Now that Health Care Insurance Reform has become law, quite a few Congressmen and Congresswomen have been receiving threats on their lives and the lives of their loved ones. I ask you, is this our America?
Yesterday I came across a blog entitled "Proud to be American". I thought "this must be a really good blog so I clicked on the link and it contained nothing but vile comments about the African-Americans blaming them alone that Health Care Reform passed. I ask you, have we gone back to the 1960s?
The Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights have allowed Americans all kinds of privileges including the right of free speech - it says nothing about killing someone with whom we disagree; nothing about abusing these privileges. I ask you, have you read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights lately?
Yesterday it was announced that the Rifle Association will have as its speaker an individual (who I will not dignify by posting his name) who is claiming that he incited those who are throwing bricks through windows of local offices of Congressmen and Congresswomen. He is telling everyone to clean their rifles and to get ready to kill if necessary. He will be the main speaker on April 19th which in this country reminds us of the day Americans were called to arms at Lexington. This individual derides everything and is totally anti-government *yet* he seems quite happy to receive Social Security benefits that comes out of taxpayer monies. I ask you, should he continue to be allowed to receive those benefits?
There is so much negativity going on that if both sides of the government to not speak out against it I am afraid something catastrophic will occur similar to what we saw during the civil rights marches of the 1960s. I ask you, as Americans should we allow this to happen?
Whatever one's party affiliation, we should never allow violence to dominate the political landscape of our country. It is defnitely not what the Founding Fathers of our country wanted for us as a nation. Some of them lost everything because they dared to sign the Declaration of Independence in 1776. I ask you, are we as Americans going to allow that to happen again to any political party for voting what they thought was best for Americans across the country?
I hope not! I for one have decided to speak out and to stand up as an American who loves this country and is proud to have always enjoyed the privileges this country affords us in so many ways. I ask you, will you too stand up to end the potential violence? Will you contact your Congress and your Senate asking that they, together, speak out against what is presently happening? Please do - it is the right and the privilege of all Americans to do so.
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Lucie's Legacy
Lucie LeBlanc Consentino
Click here for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights
